Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge Series: Phyllida Bright Mystery #4
Published by Kensington Books on October 22, 2024
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 315
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Housekeeper Phyllida Bright is quite in her element at Mallowan Hall, the charming English manor that she keeps in tip-top shape. By contrast, the bustling metropolis of London, where her famed employer Agatha Christie has temporarily relocated, leaves Phyllida a bit out of her depth. Not only must she grapple with a limited staff, but Phyllida also has to rein in a temperamental French cook who has the looks of Hercule Poirot, but none of the charm.
When a man named Archibald Allston is found dead in an armchair onstage at the Adelphia Theater, first impressions are that he died of natural causes. But the very next day, the unlucky actor playing Benvolio at the Belmont Theater is found with his head bashed in. And when a third victim turns up, this time with double-C initials, the fatal pattern is impossible to ignore.
Off to London goes the Agatha Christie household for town living and a staging of one of Agatha’s plays, if a fiendish murderer doesn’t kill the play before it even gets started. Colleen Cambridge has built a sparkling keen historical cozy mystery series with a fascinating amateur sleuth in the skilled and clever housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, set against the Agatha Christie world.
Murder Takes the Stage is the fourth book in the connected series of standalone murder mysteries that can be read out of order, though are so much better to get all the build of background and character relationships as it happens.
For readers like me who have been dying to know what is the big mystery of Phyllida’s past, and will she and the chauffeur Joshua Bradford progress beyond their needling each other in their unofficial collaborations on Phyllida’s investigations, yes, we move forward significantly on both counts.
Some series, I just like from the beginning. While other series, need to grow on me first. Phyllida has grown on me as have the books in this series so I can say this was the best yet. The mystery part was intriguing and harked back to Christie’s stellar The ABC Murders, but I have to say that finally getting the reveal on Phyllida’s mysterious past was even more satisfying as was Phyllida and Bradford finally acknowledging the sparks they kick off aren’t dislike, but attraction.
I thought I had this mystery figured out, but I got that one wrong all around. I was practically biting my nails as Phyllida engaged with this killer in the final pages. I can now appreciate the humor of Phyllida’s personality and quirks and her serious capability and confidence especially since she was feeling vulnerable and off her game a little with her personal life intruding.
I can’t wait to get the next installmentin the Phyllida Bright mysteries and see Phyllida, Bradford, Agatha, Max and the whole cast sleuthing once again. Historical cozy mystery fans are the target audience and should put this series on the reading list.
About Colleen Cambridge
Colleen Gleason (aka Colleen Cambridge, C.M. Gleason, and Alex Mandon) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling and award-winning author who can’t seem to decide what type of book to write…so she writes a lot of different genres!
So far, Colleen has written everything from vampire hunters to dystopian romance, to steampunk, historical romance, and mysteries with a supernatural flair or a historical setting. One element, however, that appears in all of her stories, is that of partnership…whether it be professional, romantic, or both.
All of Colleen’s books feature strong heroines experiencing fast-paced adventures, danger, mystery, and of course, romance. But at the core of each story is the belief that every woman deserves a partner who accepts her for her strengths as well as her weaknesses—and vice versa.
Colleen lives in the midwest United States with her family and two dogs, and is always working on her next book.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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Oooo I like he sounds of this one!
Yeah, the way you enjoy Agatha Christie, you really should give the series a go. 🙂
I’m glad to hear the story moved forward the way you wanted it to.
Yes! I think I hit my stride with this series and really enjoyed this one.
This sounds like such a good series.
Oh yeah, another fun one in the Agatha Christie world. I’m trying her other series soon.
I was kind of meh on the first book so I didn’t continue with the series but it sounds like I need to give it another try. Especially since this one grew on you. I like the sound of this one.
LOL, I hope it takes the second time around, but yeah, sometimes a book style is just not a good match. Hard to tell if it will grow on you or not, but I hope so. 🙂
Sounds like a solid series so far with the books even getting better the further you get. I like those cozy series were you have a new mystery each book, but some plot lines that continue throughout the series. It’s nice there was some progress related to the secret of Phyllida’s past as well as the possible romance. I don’t read a lot of historical cozy mysteries, but I like to pick one up now and then.
Yes, it was a likeable series with the starting book, but grew even better for me as it kept going. Definitely keep this one in mind when you try a historical cozy.